Tag: toenail discoloration

If you notice at some point that you have a toenail split, then you may need to examine it much more closely. Why would you do this? First of all, you may need to specifically determine if you have smashed your toenail on something, or if it something much more insidious, such as a fungal infection.

Upon closer examination, you may see or notice more than just your toenail split. Perhaps your nail is discolored, or is fragile or crumbling. Maybe the nail is thicker than the corresponding nail on your other foot. Make a note of all of these differences, and then compare them to a list of toenail fungus symptoms. Do all of the symptoms match? If you have more than four of the list of symptoms, it is likely that you have toenail fungus.

If you are at the point where you are experiencing toenail split, then your nails are very damaged and you should find some treatment immediately. When the nail starts to split, you are opening yourself up to infection, because the nail is being compromised and it leaves your nail bed vulnerable and open to attack from the outside by viruses and bacteria.

Many people do not even notice when they have a fungal infection in their toes, because it develops slowly over time and if there are no outward symptoms or signs, they may not have any concerns. Often, these infections take hold in older people (seniors) who may not be able to reach their toes, or may need to see a nail care specialist to trim and treat the nails regularly.

If you notice you have a toenail split, you should not ignore it. This is your body telling you that there is a serious problem that needs your attention immediately. Make sure you find a treatment that you can live with and start using it as soon as possible. Don’t worry if you do not notice a change in your nails immediately, the discoloration or crumbly/split areas will have to grow out over time.

Do you know when to worry about toenail discoloration? Knowing the signs of a serious fungal infection is very important, because if it is left untreated, it may become infected and cause you some very serious health problems.

If your overall health is pretty good, then in most cases you have very little to worry about. If; however, you are over 60 or have a chronic disease such as diabetes, you may be more prone to these types of infections.

Injuring your foot, and subsequently, your toenail can leave the nail bed open to an infection. You also increase your risk of infection if you walk around barefoot often or at public places, such as the swimming pool, with no shoes or sandals.

Looking at your toenails often and making a note of the condition that they are in should be a part of your weekly grooming routine. If you notice that your nails are discolored, look at them more closely. If you see any of these signs, then it is a good idea to investigate your treatment options:

*If they are thickening or crumbling, splitting or peeling or separating from the nail bed or from the skin surrounding the nails.

*You notice yellow streaks in the bed of the nail or under the nail.

*Large buildup of debris under the nail or around it.

*White spots or streaks on top of your nails.

*Any pain or redness around the toes, nail bed or surrounding skin.

When to worry about toenail discoloration? When it becomes painful to carry on with your daily life, you have problems walking, your feet hurt all of the time. If you leave an infection such as this too long, it can spread and take over every toenail on an entire foot. Next, it will move to the other foot. After that, if you leave it untreated, you can be looking at surgery to remove all of your toenails.

It is very important to keep an eye on your toenails and keep them clean and dry. This is the best way to prevent any infection and to decrease the chances that you will get an infection. To summarize, it is time to worry about discoloration when:

*You have severe pain.

*You notice pus or redness.

*You have a fever.

If you have any of these symptoms, you may need to attend a medical clinic immediately.

If there is a more embarrassing disease to have, it should be fungal nail infection and once you are affected, you will search frantically for a proper toe fungus treatment. Not only that the infection is tough to get rid of; it can also come back anytime especially if not properly treated. This humiliating disease can also spread from one person to another in no time if left unattended for a long time. Toe fungus treatment can be expensive depending on the type of medication. There are generally 3 sets of treatments available till date. Each of them varies in effectiveness though.

Doctor s Prescription

Doctor-prescribed cure is usually not very pocket friendly toe fungus treatment and even may give unpleasant side effects. Depending on the stage of infection, this kind of medication is normally effective if taken on a regular basis.

Home Remedies

Homemade toe fungus treatment methods are rampant in most households. A typical example is the use of Vick’s Vapor Rub. Others would use vinegar–soaking the feet twice every day. Sad as it is but home remedies are not guaranteed to work all the time and there is even a great chance that it may never even work.

Topical Medication

The most ideal type of toe fungus treatment is topical medication. Medicines of this kind are designed to kill a fungi colony deeply embedded in the nail bed. If applied properly on a regular basis, it can clear one’s nail in a matter of weeks to a couple of months–same as any effective oral medication prescribed by most doctors sans the side effects and at a lesser price. Same as any types of medication, the length of curative period greatly depends on how bad the infection has become. Normally, topical medication takes the form of ointment or oil applied on the infected part. It should be emphasized here that one needs to follow the directions that comes with every product to maximize its effectiveness.

Topical toe fungus treatments are varied in terms of price. Some of them can be purchased over-the-counter in some drugstores but majority of them are sold online. Online products are significantly cheaper compared to ones sold in pharmacies but with the same effectiveness. Looking for the best product for a toe fungus infection online can be easy and convenient. Just in time for summer

Most of the time, whenever you notice that you have a toenail infection it may be too late since the infection has already fully developed as there are not many visible symptoms of nail fungal infection other than a simple toenail discoloration, possibly the first sign that you’ll detect.

A toenail infection caused by fungus is not rare. In fact, an estimated 35 million people worldwide are thought to be infected annually by this disease. Aside from being stubborn, this infection is also highly contagious. You can virtually get the infection at work, home, a public facility like a pool, gym, or nail salon. Aged people especially those above 65 years old are particularly vulnerable.

Toenail infection can happen on one or multiple nails at one time. An attacking fungi colony would first exploit the vulnerable openings around and under the nails to gain foothold. After some time, the colony would grow and spread to other parts of the feet. The very first effect of the attack is a different color of the nail. This is due to the color of the toenail fungus itself. Depending on the natural color of the fungus, toenail discoloration can be golden yellow, brownish, or yellowish in color. There are also nails that can turn green when attacked by a fungus. Still, other nails may become a cornucopia of ugly colors.

After nail discoloration, ridges and other deformations can follow and if left untreated, the nails themselves can detach from the nail bed leaving an ugly toe. It is critical to prevent the infection from making deformations on the nails since deformed nails can no longer be reverted to their previous form without losing the nail.

Treatment should commence right away to force out the toenail infection attacking fungus. Many medications are available in the market that do not need doctor’s prescription. It is important to remember that the treatment itself will take some time to show improvement. The effect of the medication greatly depends on the severity of the toenail infection. Normally, treatment can run up to a minimum of few weeks to months. If the infection has been there for years, it may also take years to fully reach total cure for the infected part.

If perhaps you’ve discovered some toenail discoloration, its possible you have a fungal nail infection. In most cases, a fungal infection can be somewhat advanced as soon as there are indications of it.

The common symptoms of a fungal nail infection tend to be thickening of the nails, crumbling as well as splitting or brittleness, an accumulation of skin along with nail fragments beneath the nail and also toenail discoloration.

Nail fungus can enter your nails if you have broken or cut your nails too short and one of the first signs is toenail discoloration. Once the nail bed is exposed, it is open to infection. The nail bed is what protects your nail bed from all foreign matter, including bacteria. These types of infections develop extremely slowly in toes, so by the time you notice toenail discoloration, it is time to look at treatment options.

Prevention is still the best cure for fungal nail infections:

*Avoid walking barefoot in public pools and gym locker rooms, or any public place;

*Wear dry shoes and socks, if your socks and shoes become wet, change them and allow your shoes to fully dry before you use them again;

*Don t wear footwear that is too tight there should be a space between your toes and the front of your shoe because if your toes are rubbing on the inside of your shoe, this increases your chances of trauma and infection;

*Fully dry your feet after a bath or shower and use an anti-fungal powder;

*Don t trim your nails too short, and cut them straight across, not on an angle;

*If you notice toenail discoloration and pus, you have a severe infection.

Certain people are much more susceptible to these types of infection and resultant toenail discoloration. Those include people who suffer from diabetes, those who are over 60 and people who have a weakened immune system. For these groups of people, nail fungus can present serious risks and complications.

It is rare that surgery is used to treat a fungal nail infection or toenail discoloration. Most people who visit their doctor for treatment will receive a prescription medication. The main issue with these types of medications are the undesirable side effects, which can be very severe.

Your healthier alternative for toenail discoloration would be to select a non prescription treatment without any recognized side effects. There are several forms of home remedies to select from. Unfortunately, a lot of of them will not be scientifically tested or dependable. It is imperative that you look for a product that’s proven to work and that could remove the infection rather than staving it off for awhile and then allowing it to come back with a vengeance.